There is no thermometer outside my living room window. Growing up such things were the strategy for deciding which garb to wear before stepping into the elements. But lately I get my answer from an app that not only tells me the current temperature and humidity but lays them out in hourly increments throughout the day.

Apparently the bump from freezing to a single degree above it was predicted just when I planned to start the car. Exhale. The doors might not be frozen shut.

There are mornings when I forget to check ahead and blithely dress according to yesterday’s balm or briskness. Then I find myself tugging my thin sweater tighter, wishing it was a parka. Other times I bundle up because Monday was nippy only to discover that I am overdressed. Staying abreast of climate conditions takes attention. And willingness to respond.

A friend asked for ideas in regard to warming up her marriage. Predictably I suggested she voice her appreciation of him each day. An incremental change to be sure but I guess it’s my go-to. She seemed dubious but was willing to give it a shot. As is often the case the more she looked for examples of his kindness the more she found. It snowballed without the slip.

The doors weren’t frozen shut after all.